Moffat County High School senior Makayla Camilletti sets up for a three pointer Friday morning during a scrimmage game against the Meeker High School Cowboys at MCHS. With one week left in the winter break coaches Matt Ray and Greg Chintala wanted to square off to get both teams ready to return to league play.

Mutually beneficial

MCHS girls basketball team hosts Meeker High School for scrimmage

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“We know Moffat County is a very aggressive team, and since we’re playing a couple of real aggressive teams right in a row we wanted to come over here for a scrimmage,” Chintala said. “But I think it helped both teams. The whole idea was to help each team get better and I think we did that.”

— Greg Chintala, Meeker High School girls basketball coach, about a scrimmage game Friday morning against the MCHS Bulldogs.

In international soccer, exhibition matches often are called “friendlies.”

But there was work to be done Friday morning when the Moffat County High School girls basketball team hosted the Meeker High School Cowboys for a winter break scrimmage game.

“It was a good scrimmage against Meeker and it helped us shake some of the rust off before we actually have a real game,” said MCHS girls coach Matt Ray. “It just helps get going and not beat up on ourselves all the time.”

Colorado High School Activities Association rules require limited interaction between coaches and their players during the almost month-long break for the holidays.

As a result the Bulldogs, previously accustomed to daily workouts, have only practiced as a team on six occasions in the last two weeks.

“We know Moffat County is a very aggressive team, and since we’re playing a couple of real aggressive teams right in a row we wanted to come over here for a scrimmage,” Chintala said. “But I think it helped both teams. The whole idea was to help each team get better and I think we did that.”

Ray agreed.

Though the Bulldogs went into the break with a 4-3 record (3-1 in WSL), play in the tougher 3A conference, and are ranked 69th overall in the state, the Cowboys matched up well as the 52nd overall ranked team in the state and an undefeated record in 2A through six games.

“They’re competitive for us, and hopefully we were competitive for them,” Ray said.

The Bulldogs will have their first full week of practice since winter break started as they prepare to host Aspen High School at 2 p.m. next Saturday.

The Skiers ride into MCHS as one of the weaker teams in the league with a 2-4 overall record.

But Ray’s been around long enough to know complacency can result in disappointment.

“This week we’re working on being patient and not shooting ourselves in the foot,” he said. “We’ve got to be the ones to control the tempo, control the ball, run our offense, run our defense and not just turn it over with helter skelter type stuff.

“I know if we don’t show up they can beat us, as with any team, but if we do show up we should have a good win next week.”

The Cowboys enter the last week of the break with their toughest two-week test of the season not far on the horizon.

On Friday Meeker travels to Hotchkiss to take on the 6-1 Bulldogs, followed by a Saturday home game against the “always tougher than nails” Paonia High School Eagles.

The Cowboys then travel to Rangely for a midweek showdown with the 6-1 Panthers, before rounding out their tough four-game stretch against the West Grand High School Mustangs at 6 p.m. Jan. 18 in Meeker.

“We have a real tough two-week stretch coming up after the break, but we’re playing well,” Chintala said. “I lost two seniors to graduation, but I have 10 girls who were varsity players last year back this year.

“They know the terminology and when you tell them to do something, they do it.”

The Bulldogs’ 2 p.m. Saturday home game against Aspen will be simulcast live at www.craigdailypress.com. For more information…